A weekend of fires

THREE forest fires broke out inland within the space of four hours on Saturday last week. 
These occurred in Castell de Castells and Guadalest although the most virulent occurred in the inland Marina Alta area of Vall de Gallinera. 
Flames destroyed 160 hectares of land, and not 200 as originally feared, said Jose Maria Angel who heads the region’s Safety and Emergencies department.  
The fire originated in neighbouring Villalonga (Valencia) but spread to Vall de Gallinera where firefighters were hampered by high temperatures reaching 40C, the steepness of the area and the danger of the Levante east wind fanning the flames, Angel revealed. 
Although the fire was surrounded and controlled by Sunday morning with no further evidence of flames, hotspots remained and aircraft continued dousing the area with fire-retardant and water to prevent rekindling, he said. 
The Emergencies chief praised the coordination between the Administrations involved, not least because it was necessary to attend to fires in Guadalest and Castell de Castells at the same time. 
The Guadalest fire affecting 200 square metres of pines was extinguished by the early hours of Sunday morning, while in Castell de Castells, where 16 hectares of woodland were burnt, the fire was controlled by 10 am.